Every game is crucial at this stage, with several enormous conclusions in the fourteenth week that may determine postseason berths come the end of the campaign.
A 42-year-old veteran quarterback struck a big setback to the Baltimore Ravens' postseason aspirations, whereas Josh Allen virtually terminated Joe Burrow's chances. At the same time, the Houston Texans defense posed a huge problem and may have concluded the Kansas City Chiefs campaign earlier than ever before in the Mahomes tenure.
The Breakdown: Divisional Deciders Live Up To the Hype
Three critical divisional battles lived up to the hype.
Veteran quarterback Rodgers, playing with a injured wrist, guided his squad to a tough 27-22 victory in Baltimore. He scored his initial running touchdown in nearly three seasons, however it was his deep passes to his star wideout that made the difference.
Lamar Jackson was off rhythm as Baltimore missed crucial opportunities—though they were angry by a late score being chalked off. These franchises will meet again on the last weekend of the regular season.
Elsewhere, the oldest rivalry in the league saw a thrilling encounter. Despite touchdown deep passes, an worn-out defensive unit had to thwart another fourth-quarter rally from the visiting rookie quarterback in the frigid weather.
This outcome handed one side a narrow advantage in their NFC North, whereas the losers plummeted from the NFC's top spot down to seventh.
In-Depth Look: Where Has It Gone Wrong for the Kansas City Chiefs?
Statistical models assign the Kansas City only a 15% chance of reaching the postseason. Realistically, this will be the first missed playoffs for star quarterback Patrick Mahomes—and the first for the franchise in a ten years.
In Mahomes' 7 full years as a starter, he has advanced to 7 AFC Championship contests and five championship games. That means the club has competed in almost every possible game during his time.
So, the reasons for this year's failure are apparent and were highlighted during Sunday's defeat. Injuries ravaged an already dodgy O-line, with several key players missing.
Even then, the quarterback gave his squad a fighting chance, however failed kicks and costly dropped passes—such as on a key fourth-down attempt—confirmed their downfall.
In Focus: Could the Lombardi Trophy Be Heading for the Western US?
Two top teams from the West Coast divisions are building strong cases for Super Bowl favorites.
One team, atop their conference, won the last Super Bowl held at February's stadium. They are built on a dominant defence that leads the NFL in quarterback takedowns and wins through methodical, time-consuming drives.
The second team, atop the NFC, showcased an high-powered offense capable of putting points on the board from anywhere. They boast a formidable ground game to complement an exceptional aerial attack.
The question could be if the potent offence can withstand the relentless pressure of the top defense—what would be a fascinating playoff matchup.
Discussion: A Star Tight End Considering Retirement?
Among the fallout from the Chiefs' defeat, comments from the quarterback about his longtime teammate sparked rumors about a potential departure.
Hearing him state, "every year... I try to cherish because you never know" certainly seemed like he was preparing for the 36-year-old to hang up his cleats.
"He will have the choice to do what he wants to do after this season," Mahomes added. Should the year concludes early for the Chiefs, the three-time Super Bowl winner could decide to walk away.
Preview: Buffalo vs. New England Highlights the Upcoming Slate
The Bills' quarterback did it all again for his team in a wintry victory. Allen passed for three touchdowns and ran for one more, accounting for a staggering percentage of his team's overall scores this year.
Allen is the first quarterback in NFL annals with 3,000 passing yards, twenty TD throws and ten running touchdowns in 3 consecutive seasons.
Now, he tries to carry the Bills on his shoulders again as they try to catch their AFC East foes, the New England Patriots—coincidentally, they are exactly who they face this coming Sunday.
Major Upcoming Week Games:
- Bills @ New England Patriots
- Detroit Lions @ Rams
- Green Bay Packers @ Denver Broncos
- Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs
Week 14 Stats, Records & Notes
- A kickoff runback for a 100-yard score—the biggest play of the season—sparked a scoring blitz for one offense.
- A prolific wide receiver scored 2 scores and is still tracking for a record-breaking 2,000-yard receiving.
- A feared pass rusher notched his twentieth sack of the season, closing in of the all-time record.
- An international kicker played a key role for his team in a upset victory in rainy weather.
- A team that was shutout one game responded with a clean sheet of its own the following week.
- A struggling team watched its franchise QB return from an elbow issue, only to leave the contest again with a similar injury.
